This invention relates to tool slides for use on screw machines, or the like, and more particularly to a novel tool slide which is suitable for use in either of two different operating positions on a multiple spindle screw machine. Even more particularly this invention is related to an improved dovetail tool slide and mounting means therefor including a dovetail expansion gib.
There are in use today a large number of machine tools which employ tool slides of the type in which a tool holder is mounted on a respective slide for reciprocation thereby toward and away from the work that is to be machined. Moreover, in many such machines the slide has thereon a dovetail shaped guide which is slidably mounted in a correspondingly shaped recess formed in the upper surface of a support bracket or base. Repeated reciprocation of the slide toward and away from the work tends to generate wear between the dovetail shaped guide and the walls of the recess in which the guide reciprocates. It is therefore customary to employ a longitudinally tapered brass gib between the guide and associated support properly to align the guide for reciprocation in the recess in the associated support, and also to compensate, when necessary, for excessive wear between the moving parts. Customarily the gib is secured to the support, so that the dovetail guide on the slide has one surface thereof sliding against a confronting surface on the associated gib thus causing wear on one or the other or both of the confronting, sliding surfaces. Consequently, to compensate for such wear it becomes necessary rather frequently to replace the worn gib, and to requalify both the guide surfaces and the walls of the recess to eliminate any undesirable running clearance and consequent lateral movement or play between the slide and the associated support.
Still another problem with certain screw machines of the type described is that each such machine utilizes two different slides, one such slide being mounted for operation in one area of the machine, say position A, and the other slide being mounted in another area of the machine, say at position B. While portions of these two slides are similar in configuration, each such slide is unique, and has provisions to accept tooling and operate in only one of two positions on the machine. Also, each slide is manipulated or reciprocated by a different mechanism, and therefore each such slide must have thereon a different mechanism for connecting the respective slide with the associated reciprocating mechanism. As a consequence, when one such slide wears out or must be replaced, care must be taken to make sure that the correct replacement part is ordered, since the slides are different, and a slide for position A cannot be employed in position B, and vice versa.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved tool slide of the type described which is designed for operation in either position A or position B of a machine of the type described, and therefore obviates the need for utilizing or maintaining two different slides for such a machine.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool slide of the type described, which has mounted thereon two different coupling means, one of which is utilized to connect the slide to an operating mechanism of a screw machine when the slide is in one of two different positions on the machine, say position A, and the other of which coupling means is utilized for connecting the slide to another operating mechanism when the slide is located in position B on the machine.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool slide of the type described having a dovetail guide which is mounted in a correspondingly shaped recess in a slide support by means of a dovetail expansion gib, which can be readily adjusted to minimize running clearance between the dovetail guide of the slide and the associated support.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.